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Instructional Objective | Learners
& Context | Object of Game | Game
Materials |
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Time Required | Setup | Rules | Design
Process | References |
Learners
will be able to identify time zones on a global map and determine the
difference in time between two locations. Learners will be able to solve
problems which involve time zones. Learners will see the effect
of time zones on travel and communication. Learners will distinguish
between day and night in various locations at specific times. Advanced
learners will be able to apply concepts related to the International
Dateline and Daylight Savings Time to global travel and communication.
This
content complements the current California state standards for 5th grade.
The standards require that students develop map and globe skills to
identify and interpret location information. This game also complements
the standards for using strategies and concepts in finding solutions
and using models to explain mathematical reasoning.
Learners
& Context of Use
The
game is designed for learners, ages 10 and up. In today's global society,
both children and adults require the
ability to understand the concept of world time zones and their impact
on travel and communication. A child may need to determine if he
or she can call Grandma who lives in a different time zone. Children are
often intrigued with the change in time when they travel and, perhaps,
get to stay up an extra hour or two.
Snapshots
in Time is designed to be used in school or home settings.
Alternative:
An alternate set of cards could be developed for business use. The
context would revolve around global business travel and communication
and the level of difficulty could be higher.
The
object of the game is to be the first international photographer to
successfully take 4 pictures at various locations around the world and
return to the photographer's home location.
- Game
board
- 4
photographer playing pieces
- 16 Photo
Destination cards
- 1
stack of Switch Time cards
- 1
stack of Phone cards
- 1
stack of Travel cards
- 1
spinner
- Game
directions
Game
Board
Sample
Photo Destination Cards
 
Sample
Playing Cards
Spinner
The
game is for 2-4 players. The game will require 40-50 minutes to play.
The game is over when the first player returns to his or her home
location with 4 photographs. If players must end the game early,
the photographer with the most photos wins.
Setup
- Shuffle the Phone and Travel cards and place them face down in the
designated place on the board.
- Shuffle the Switch Time cards, place them face down on
the designated place on the board. Turn over the top card to
set the current Greenwich time (GMT) for the start of the game.
- Each player selects a photographer playing piece and places it
on the home location of the same color.
- Each player draws 4 Photo Destination cards from the deck
and places them in front of the player with the black and white side facing up.
(Players will flip the cards to the color side when a photo has been
taken at the city.)
- The Phone Cards include two different levels of play.
Level 1 is for beginners or children not very familiar with map or
time zone concepts. Players can move up to Level 2 as they become
more familiar with time zones and calculating time differences.
Each player should decide their own level of play prior to
starting the game.
The
Rules
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Based on the current time shown on the Switch
Time card, each player
determines his or her local time (see Hints below for help). The player closest to 12PM
plays first.
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The first player spins the spinner to determine his
or her play. One of the following types of plays will occur:
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Phone: The player takes the top card off the
Phone Card stack. The player
reads the card aloud and attempts to answer the question on the card
for his or her level. If the
player responds to the card correctly, the player will move forward
the number of spaces indicated on the card. Included in the Phone
Cards are some conference
calls. These cards require more than one player to respond and
may result in multiple players moving on the board. When
the play is finished, return the card to the bottom of the stack.
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Travel: The player takes the top card
off the Travel Card stack. The player reads the card
aloud and follows the directions on the card. When the play is finished, return the card to the bottom of
the deck.
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Switch Time: The player takes the
current time card and returns it to the bottom of the stack. The
player then turns over the top card of the Switch Time stack.
Based on this new time, the player
determines his or her local time. If the player is correct, the
player advances two spaces and spins again for another play.
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Go to Next City: The player moves forward
on the game board to the next city. If the city is one of the player's
Photo Destinations, the player determines if he or she can
take the photo (see #3 below).
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When a player reaches one of his or her Photo
Destination cities, the player stops at the city. Players do
not need to land on the city by exact count. The player must
determine if a photo can be taken. It must be daytime in order to
take a photo. Daytime for the game is 7AM to 9PM (including 7AM and
9PM exactly). If the local time at the photo destination is between
7AM and 9PM , the player turns over the Photo Destination card
for that city so the color side appears. If it is not daytime, the player must
remain at the city until it becomes daytime at the city. This
can occur during any player's turn with any play that includes a
Switch Time. If a change in time has not allowed the player to take
a photo by his or her next turn, the player may spin to try to
switch the time. The player can not play on any phone, travel, or
move plays until the photo has been taken.
-
When a player completes a turn, play passes to the
next player in a clockwise fashion.
Hints:
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Current Greenwich Time: The time on
the current Switch Time card. This is the time in Greenwich,
England from which all time is referenced. The +/- numbers on the
board indicate the +/- hours for the time zone as it relates to
Greenwich time.
-
Current Local Time: The time at the player's
location. This time is determined by sliding up/down the vertical
time zone on the map to find the +/- hours from Greenwich time. This
number of hours is then added or subtracted from the time on the Switch
Time card to determine the local time. Players may use the
clock faces on the board to help them determine current times and
time differences.
Example: The player is in Bangkok. Using
the time zones on the board, the player slides down the board from
Bangkok to the +/- for the time zone and determines this city is + 7 hours.
This is GMT +7 or Bangkok is 7 hours later than Greenwich. The
player adds 7 hours to the
Greenwich time. If the current Greenwich time on the Switch Time
card is 11:00AM, the current local time in Bangkok is 6:00PM.
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Daytime and Photographer Awake Time: 7AM to 9PM in the player's
local time.
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Time Zone: As the earth spins slowly, there is a constant
series of dawns, noons and sunsets around the world. When people in
the UK are eating lunch, it will be the middle of the night in
California, and people in Japan will be getting ready to go to bed.
Wherever people live, they use their own 'local time' .The world is
divided into time zones and each has its own local time. The time
zones are based on meridians, or lines of longitude. The world
measures its time from the 0 meridian which runs through Greenwich,
England.
Design
Process
The
design process was much like the resulting game - filled with wandering
paths, obstacles, and setbacks! The original idea for the topic of the
game intrigued the authors because little time is spent on the concept
of time zones yet it is an important concept for communication and
travel in today's world. The game started out as a U.S. only game for
children with a global "flip-side" for adults. The initial
research efforts quickly revealed that a global map and board would be
essential to properly introduce the concepts due to the importance of
Greenwich, England as the reference for all time zones.
The
California state curriculum standards were referenced to determine the
appropriate age and capabilities of the learners for the game. The National
Geographic™ game in the EdTec 670 classroom and the States Game were
reviewed to gather ideas and critique different aspects of game plan
on a map.
The
authors worked through the First
Steps in Board Game Design to identify the content, patterns, elements,
and structures for the game. After many iterations of objectives, types
of plays, cards, rules, and themes, the authors started honing in on
a general design for the board and game play. A very rough board was
sketched and playing cards were drafted. The details were overwhelming.
Playing squares on the path couldn't overlap two time zones or the player
wouldn't be able to answer the question. The proportions of different
plays on the spinner were tweaked several times in hopes of just the
right mix of fun and learning while keeping the movement going on the
board.
Instrumental
in the development of the game was frequent feedback from the learners,
primarily children 10-12. As they played the prototype game, the kinks
in the game became obvious and the children had valuable advice for
improvements. It was also a great relief to see those moments when they
were fully engaged in the game and beginning to master the content!
Books
- National
Geographic World Atlas for Young Explorers. (1998).
Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society.
Electronic
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